


The Princess of Shadows

by Kakashisgirlfighter



Category: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2019-01-17 10:03:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12363309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kakashisgirlfighter/pseuds/Kakashisgirlfighter
Summary: Ariel Bloom just happen to dream about all things Halloween till one day she falls into the world of Halloween and where she meets Jack Skellington believing she is a long lost Princess while Jack find himself facing a life sentence if he can not prove she is the princess before Oogie Boogie becomes the new king of Halloween.





	1. Opening

Love is the purest thing even in the darkest hour. There was a love that a young lady had for the holidays worlds. She was a little different from others around her, she would spend her time in the forest than with the people in her town. 

What made her different was that she born on October 31; Halloween but little did her small town know about her that among the holiday worlds, she was a princess to them. 

They called her the Princess of Shadows, she spend more in the shadows than anything else, she even wore a mask that hide her face. 

It didn’t last long till she was caught someone’s eyes. 

They had friendship like no other as their friendship grew it became love. 

The man who had his eyes on her saw more than beauty what he saw was something special. No one not even god himself could separate them, till she disappeared one day and no one saw her again. 

But that’s not where this story stop, this is only half of the beginning.


	2. Chapter 1: The Girl

“Now class, our town Halloween festival is coming up at the end of month. So each class is doing something for the festival, now does anyone have an idea for it.” The whole started to talk among themselves about ideas, costumes or groaning the idea to help out for the class because they would be missing a party or something, all except one girl who was busy drawing in a little black book. 

The pages were full of drawings and stories, all of them were related to Halloween. “Mrs.Bloom? I assume you have an idea from your little book?” The girl close the book before anyone saw what was inside of it. Her river eyes look at her teacher as her red hair fall in front of her face. 

“You weren’t listing were you?” She look down as her fingers were all black from her pencil. The class began to laugh knowing she was going to get another lecture from their teacher. “Another dream you had?” A class member ask as they laugh at her. “Ariel and her little weird dream journal.” 

Ariel Bloom was the odd of one of her class, she look like any another teenager in her town. She had long red hair that braided in odd places for her hair, she also had pale skin that she look like a ghost to some, her river eyes were also odd to some were they green or blue, no one really knew. What made her odd was the fact she carried around the little black book everywhere she went and called a dream journal. 

Everyone had to laugh at her, she was odder than other odd balls in town. She didn’t care for the teasing, it did bother her sometime, the fact she won’t use cell phones, computers or get on a car or bus even a bike. She would rather ride in carriage, she would sit in a room filled with books. Ariel thought she felt out of place, she thought it was due to being born on Halloween? 

She was going to turn seventeen, she would have another year to deal high school, but her friend Will would make it better since she was only one person in town who understand her. As Ariel made her way home, she could feel the autumn wind hitting against her face. Some leafs landed against her as she look up at the old graveyard she pass by. 

“Ariel!” Someone yelled as they rode their bike up to her. It was Will, she was called Will because it was better than being called by her real name. She stopped before she crashed into her friend. 

“Meet me at the forest park after dinner. I have something awesome to tell you.” She said as she ride off to her home as well. Ariel stood there a little confused when she continue home. Her family happen to live close to the river that the town was near. Ariel head up to her room which was the middle room on the second floor of the house. She had the balcony that look up river and road along with the patch of grass that was growing near their home. 

Her room was filled with drawings of town she made up, the people, the animals, and even the plants. She dream about it for so long since she could remember. She couldn’t understand why, she felt like she belong there? “Ariel! Dinner!” Ariel heard her mother while she sat at her desk finishing writing something in her journal. She wasn’t hungry but she had to eat something to make sure her mother didn’t bother her, then again she was going to sleepover at Will’s later. It would be a good excuse to skip too so she could get ahead start and not ride on Will’s bike. 

Mrs. Bloom was setting up the table as Ariel’s older brother and her little sister were sitting down at the table as she came downstairs. “Sorry, I’m sleeping over at Will’s place.” She said as her mother was about to set her plate down. 

“I told you Monday?” She said as her mother tap her head a little, her mother was a forgetful person and yet she keep track of three kids’ birthdays. “Well, have fun.” She reply till her brother look at her bag which was barely packed. 

“Journal only again with pencil?” He ask as Ariel just sigh feeling like today could have gotten much worst. She wish she could be like her siblings, normal and be like everyone else. Before she walk out the door her mother stop her for a moment giving her a dinner roll before leaving. 

“And Ariel, if you’re going to the park, please don't’ go after these hours.” She only say an okay as she headed there anyway. She nibble on the piece of bread when she notice the old house that was the a part of the town’s history. 

Will happened to be here first since she didn’t have to walk it was a 30 minute walk from home to here. Ariel only smile finishing the piece of bread. “I told my mom I was going to meet you here and..” Will could see the look on Ariel’s face. 

“You didn’t say anything about coming here?” Will ask. Ariel just shrug putting her journal in her jacket’s pockets along with a pencil. Will pull one of Ariel’s breads giving her a look as if she just cut out something she wasn’t supposed to. 

“Well never mind, I have something to show you anyway.” The two girls walk along the park’s forest paths as the leafs fall next to them, till they reach one of the crossroads in forest paths. There was five ways someone could hike along, four of them were leading different ways, but one. It was closed by gate, nothing weird about a close off path, but this one had no trespassing signs and police tape that they would during crime scenes. 

“This is why I brought you here.” Ariel only knew Will for four years since she moved into this little town. Will who had live in the town longer than Ariel knew all the stories and lore of the town. Ariel look down the path seeing nothing unordinary, maybe someone to surprise her or something. She only gave Will a look of confusion as Will set her backpack against the gate. 

“Did you know Riverside had a Princess?” Ariel let out a bit of giggle as if it was some kind of joke. Will grin as she knew that this was the reaction her friend would give her. “I know, a small town like this having a princess? See this path, is the one the princess would walk along, she was never seen again, people believe her ghost is still haunting this path, so anyone who walks it, they disappear.” Ariel gave her another look as if she was still joking. “Well that’s what been told, see a few people had died on it.” Will said as Ariel just stare down the path. 

“And that’s the reason it’s closed off?” She ask Will pulling out an apple out of her bag, she took a big bite of it as she look at it herself. “No one really knows, it’s freaking scary to everyone.” She said to her. The more Ariel look down the path, she felt as if she was being pulled towards it, something about it was luring her to come across it. “Do you really want walk across it?” Will ask seeing how her friend was staring at it. 

Ariel just looked at it again till looking at her friend, shaking her head a bit. Will pick up her bag as she started walking back, Ariel start to do the same till she look down the path again. What was it about this one path that was closed to the public. 

Ariel hop over the gate, she felt her journal still in her pockets as she took a deep breath in. “Let see what’s down this old scary path.” She said to herself as her legs began to move. 

She began to notice there were few leafs falling now, the wind also vanish as it if it wasn’t blowing against her, she felt like she was walking along this path for more than hour. She thought she had walk no more than at least 15 minutes, she turn around to see if she could still the gate, when she turn, there was nothing, no leafs, no sound, just bare trees looming over her and evening sky. 

“What in the..” Ariel was walking backwards a little as she felt her heart racing a bit. The air felt colder till she notice a group of trees that were circled together, the idea of magic or a trick of the mind could be easy the go to answer in this case. But Ariel had felt like she had been here before, she could have dreamt it as well. She came upon them till she was in the center on them. 

On each tree was painted with all the holidays on each of them. “Why would someone paint on trees all the way out here?” She asked herself till she grab her journal out as open to a page seeing a drawing she did long ago. 

It was same, how was it possible? Was she dreaming? Maybe she fall asleep in her room or she was still school? That luring feeling came back as she look at the tree with Jackolantern on it. She walked up to it as she look at it closely. She notice where the nose was there was a doorknob. 

“Weird..” She talk to herself a little more. Maybe it was some kind of art project or something. Her hand as if it was a magnet right not touch the doorknob turning it. She would rather get her curiosity out of the way now than later. She turned it hearing something like a click as the pumpkin shape door open. It was a door, how was it possible for a door to be here, but on a tree no less. “Okay..this is getting weirder?” She told herself, she look inside of it to see if there something hidden inside of it. Nothing but darkness. 

Ariel suggest it off trying to figure out how to get back before Will notice she wasn’t behind her. When she turn around a strange wind started to blow around her, it was pulling her backwards when she notice a figure in front of her. A woman in black dress with the same shade of red hair as hers. She wore a mask around her face smiling at her. 

“Welcome home.” She said to her as the wind pull Ariel into the tree. 

The door close in front of her as she only heard the sound of wind and leaves around her. The air felt much colder than before, she seem to be falling what seem like forever, what seem like hours of falling soon stop as she felt leaves around her touch her as if a brush was against her face right now. She notice a tombstone next to her as she stood up till bumping into another tombstone. 

She look around till she notice she was in what seem to be a mass graveyard. She did look at the town’s graveyard when she was walking home, she could be dreaming? From where she was standing Ariel notice a town not far from where she stood. But what that woman said to her before she fall, what did she mean by welcome home?


	3. Chapter 2: Halloween Town

Sometimes you could tell when you’re awake or asleep, Ariel was having a hard time believing which one she was on the matter as she walk through the graveyard. She felt like she been here before, it felt like she’s been here more often than once. 

This felt too real for her, it was almost as if it was deja vu? Ariel also questioned if she was going insane or something. She looked around seeing patches of forest in the distance but mainly hills and the graveyard that seem to never end. It was strange how real this was, she walked up to a gate where she could see the town more, what was stranger to her why would a town would be so far away from her town? 

She open the gate see a path that lead to the town, she thought about asking someone there who knew how to get back home? She continued to look around as she walk up to the town see some pumpkins carved already into their most scary faces for their big night along a small stone wall that seem to grow more, which lead up to gate that was larger from the one before. 

Ariel looked through one of the gate’s bars that were twisted, she lean her head into between a space as her head went through in. She could go right through it if she wanted to, of course it meant trespassing which could get her into trouble. She was already in trouble and she needed to get home before someone notice she was gone. She was lucky she could fit through the gate and she could get a better look around the town. It was strange that there was no one around to see come through or even a sign of life that could be seen around what seem to be the town’s plaza? 

“Hello? I’m sorry to come in...I’m lost and..” No one seemed to hear her either, she stared at the center of the plaza where a fountain pouring out a green color liquid from a monster’s mouth. Ariel look at it as she pull her journal out feeling as if she had seen it before. She flip through the pages to find the one page that had it. It was exactly same from her drawing, she look at the buildings as well . each building was different from one another, tall, slated or leaning that tower each other. She took notice of one tower was much taller than the others. 

“Okay? Someone must live here?” Ariel asked herself walking up to the front of the tower. 

She noticed another gate in front of the tower, she place a hand on it to see if it would open, sadly it was locked. her body couldn’t fit through it like before. She looked up to see that the doorknob was an eyeball as the doorbell was spider, even though they were on the other side of the gate, she like it. She hope there was someone here who could help her? For now she look around more seeing there was all sorts of things that could be part of haunted house they had at the Halloween festival in her town, but these look like real medieval torture devices. 

She look through her journal again, what was strange was where they stood in the same places she had pictured them were the same in her journal. How could these people build a town like this which she had never seen in person and yet dream about all her life? “Maybe I’m going insane..?” She asked herself when she heard voices coming around the corner. 

She went over to a well with a cage over it as she lower herself just enough to hide while she pick out to see who was here? She could at least see three people, she look at them see one of them in a wheelchair, one was short with two faces, but the last one caught Ariel’s eyes, she had dreamed and wrote about someone like him all the time. He was taller than the other two and yet he was like skeleton in some ways, but something about him was so familiar to her. 

“Jack, please you just can’t go off on some ridiculous search for someone who had been gone for years!” the two faced mean said to the tall skeleton. “Even if she was still alive or some form of trace of her, you couldn’t make it in time.” Ariel listen in watching them closely. She wonder if this she was that woman from early before she came here? 

“Don’t worry mayor I’m sure there someone out there who looks like her.” The tall skeleton said to them. The one in the wheelchair open the top of his head exposing a brain as he scratch it. “Even if you do find someone like her, the mark is important.” 

Ariel sat there looking confused wondering what kind of mark they were looking for? She had a birthmark on her right shoulder, but it couldn’t mean anything? “I will search every corner, every abandoned house and grave till she’s found.” He said “Mayor, doctor even if I do this alone, I am sure she will show up, I have till Halloween to find her.” Ariel duck behind the well a little more to make sure they didn’t see her, but she eavesdrops in their conversation a little more. 

“Now please, calm everyone down while I think of something to say to them.” The mayor and doctor character went off into one of the buildings as skeleton sat down on the side of the fountain. Ariel peek out to see him as had worry and yet doubtful look on his face. She felt sad for him and wondered what he had gotten into? 

She look at him seeing how much he realizable the character in her journal. She notice something coming towards him as small bark could be heard, it look like a ghost as it also look like a dog. “What I am going to do Zero?” The skeleton ask it. “What if it’s all pointless. The Princess of Shadows may be gone for good” 

“Princess of Shadows?” Ariel asked herself in a whisper. She look through her journal seeing if there was someone like that in it? She look at each page carefully when the sleeve of her jacket was caught against something. It was caught between the stones of the well for some reason. She began to pull on her sleeve trying to get free she slip her journal back into her pocket. 

“Come on Zero, I have to tell everyone what’s going on.” Ariel pull harder till she fall backwards ripping her sleeve letting out a bit of scream which caught the skeleton’s attention. “What was that?” He walk over as Ariel move to the other side trying hide. Ariel soon trip over falling on the ghost dog as she fase thought it as it bark at her while lay on the ground till her eyes meet the skeleton’s eyes. “A human?!” 

Ariel couldn’t believe her own eyes, the fact she was staring at a real walking skeleton and he was staring at her. Her legs wanted to run but she just only stare at him seeing how real he was. She still question if this was a dream still when she realized a bruise on her cheek. The pain was real and this was real. “You’re...real? How..how can you be real? You’re just a character in my journal?” Ariel said as her voice was shaken by all this. 

He look a little confused by her since this was the first time seeing her. “Well I assure you that you have nothing to worry about young lady.” He told her offering a hand to her. She just stare at him while her hand reach for his as he pull her back up to her feet. He look at her closely as he circled her. “I have never seen a human up this close before.” He said “unless they’re scared to death.” Ariel just look at him as he look at her more. 

“I am a human..at least..hold on! Where I am?” She said looking at him as the ghost dog look at her as well. The skeleton just laughed as if she had ask a silly question like any kid would with an adult. “My dear, you’re in Halloween Town.” He said stretching his long arms out towards the town to her. 

Ariel’s jaw dropped for a moment realizing that was also the name of the town she gave in her dream. It was the same in her dreams as she look at the skeleton. “What did you just say…?” She ask him making sure she heard that right, “Halloween Town.” He repeated again. Ariel took a deep breath in before letting it out. 

“H-Halloween Town..” she said as fall back a little onto fountain. The skeleton look at the ghost dog till looking back at her. She sat there taking a few more deep breaths in before standing up again. “This is real…” she pulled out her journal looking through the pages again. 

“You’re real, this is real, and I’m not dreaming?” she ask to make sure she wasn’t crazy. 

“May I take a look?” He ask seeing the little black book in her hand. Ariel hand him her journal a little shaken up still. He look through the pages himself seeing the drawings of the town, people, plants, even all details of the smallest thing walking on all eight legs. No human has ever seen Halloween Town before or have any human came to Halloween Town. “Who are you?” he asked her as Ariel went white all of a sudden. 

“Ariel Bloom..” She said as he look at her cruise now. “What day were you born on?” He ask as Ariel look at him confused now. “October 31st..Halloween.” she said. 

“How did you get here?” He ask another question as Ariel cross her arms a little hoping to have her journal back. “I just walk down this path that closed off in my home, I just walk along it and the next thing I know I find all these trees with doors and I happen to open the Halloween one while this woman said welcome home and ended up here.” She said while he handed the journal back to her. 

“What did this woman look like?” He ask hoping to get another answer. 

“She wore this mask so I couldn’t see her face..but she sort had my hair color.” She reply pulling on one of the brads in her hair as the skeleton took her hands into his. “You must be her than!” He beam with happiness. Ariel let go of his hand as she set back looking more confused and remembering what he said early. “You must be the Princess of Shadows!” 

Ariel took a moment to take this in as she felt the world turning feeling there was so many unanswered questions to be asked. “Hold on a few moments here, I would know if I’m some kind of princess and I’m a weird normal girl from Riverside! And I don’t know who you are!” She said as the skeleton laugh. 

“My dear you are not dreaming. I’m sure that bruise on your cheek should be real enough for you.” Ariel touch her cheek feeling a slight pain against her face. He was right, she was caught up thinking either this was a dream or she was going insane. She had forgotten she had landed on her face. 

“And..you are?” She asked him. “I’m Jack Skellington.” He told her taking her hand almost like a gentleman. “I am the Pumpkin King of this town.” before either of them could say a word Ariel heard his name being called out from one the buildings. 

“Come with me.” He said taking Ariel behind the building, she could hear many different voices from the inside. Some sounded in a panic over something. Jack went inside the building with her as he told her to wait till he had calm down everyone. There was no arguing over this as Ariel stay where she was as the ghost dog stay with her. It look happy and excited as she look at it feeling the bruise on her check again. 

She didn’t want to wait around and be in the dark about what was going on here. She open the door to peek inside as the ghost dog follow her. She could the voices more clearly now as she behind curtains to what look like a stage, she peek through them to see all the different people inside, zombies, vampires, witches, ghost, all sorts of creatures she could name. She saw Jack coming out of from another room onto the stage. 

“Listen everyone, I have something very important about this year’s Halloween.” Everyone’s attention was on him. “I am afraid...I will no longer be your Pumpkin King.” 

All the citizens gasp as if all the life in their own lifeless bodies just left. Ariel listen in more unaware of three figures behind the stage with her. She was focus on what Jack was saying to them. “The Princess of Shadow was the one who have given me the title 200 years ago.” Ariel listen making sure no one saw her behind the curtains. “But due to her disappearance she was the one pick me as The Pumpkin King but without her permission to continue ruling I will be-” 

The doors from behind that lead into the building’s front doors. She saw a large shack like creature coming into the room as the citizens gasping, growling or even a few boos came out not in their good ways. “Then Halloween Town will belong to yours truly. Mr. Oogie Boogie!” 

Ariel felt like she knew that name as well giving her a bad feeling inside of her. She continued listing unaware her foot was caught on one of the ropes to the curtains that the three figures put around her foot. “Unless I find her Oogie!” Jack said to the shack monster giving him glares to make sure that everyone will have some faith that Jack would be successfully. 

“But if you can’t then Jack here will be execute on Halloween night.” Oogie said smirking as Ariel just stop listening to all this. 

She was about to go back outside till the rope around her foot trip her causing the curtains to open. She caught herself before giving herself another buries on the cheek or somewhere else. She notice all eyes on her feeling like she was in her government class trying to make a debate on how classes should be taught. 

Everyone look surprised seeing a human here for the first time. Ariel felt her heart racing as all the color in her face drain out. “Hello,..” She said till she fainted on stage.


End file.
